Wood
Professional articles

Tradition, Luxury and High-Tech - High-performance adhesives from Jowat also keep superior products in shape

(Photo Mende)

Elegant and with a rich tradition, the paddle wheel steamer offers guests a very unique atmosphere on Lake Constance. Rising gastronomical demands required a new bar which also had to set the proper highlights. Schreinerei Binzler, a carpenters’ workshop from the town of Kressbronn in Baden-Württemberg faced the challenge and delivered an impressive result: a bar manufactured from precious and durable wood joined with a high-performance adhesive.

 Manufacturing a bar for the weather deck of a ship proved to be an extremely difficult task. Due to its permanent exposure to weathering, the wooden structure has to be a lot more resistant to moisture and UV light compared to applications on land. And for a luxurious paddle wheel steamer with a history of over 100 years and a reputation as “Europe’s most superbly restored steamship”, the expectations are even higher. Built for the Royal Württemberg State Railways in 1913, the Hohentwiel had its heyday as a steam ship used for state receptions and cruises on Lake Constance by crowned heads of state, before it dropped anchor in the 60s. After several years of faithful restauration, the paddle steamer again set sail in 1990 and has since been a symbol of superior craftsmanship, elegant decorations and noble atmosphere.

When a new bar was needed on the weather deck to meet rising gastronomical demands, Christof Binzler took on the task of manufacturing a product which masters the superior requirements and accommodates the special atmosphere on the Hohentwiel with its rich tradition. For the structure, the carpenter used high-quality Iroko wood supplied by the German wood supplier and Jowat distributor Habisreutinger. Iroko is a wood species with characteristics similar to teak – extremely resistant to weathering, suitable for applications exposed to higher mechanical stress, easy to bend and very decorative. However, due to the organic ingredients, such as oil and fats, it is difficult to bond. Therefore, an adhesive was needed to facilitate a high compound strength despite the wood ingredients.

Jowacoll® Five Star is an adhesive developed by Jowat, the adhesives specialist from Detmold, for bonding tropical wood species and modified wood which are exposed directly to weathering. The two-component EPI (Emulsion Polymer Isocyanate) adhesive is characterised by a high solids content which ensures a fast setting even on wood with reduced moisture absorption. The special properties of the bondline, such as high moisture resistance and bond strength in dry heat, facilitate an extremely strong and permanent bond that can withstand even heavy mechanical stress. Moreover, bonding form parts is a special strength of this high-performance adhesive: The hard glue film keeps substrates with a high internal stress in form – a major prerequisite for the round form of the laminated timber bar on the Hohentwiel.

After a long search for a suitable adhesive which meets all the requirements, Schreinerei Binzler chose the Jowacoll® Five Star glue for this application. The result was more than impressive: An elegantly shaped bar which complements the sublime design of the paddle wheel steamer, and which is highly weather-resistant and robust due to the optimum combination of a precious, durable wood and a powerful adhesive.

The article is published in the magazine 'BM 09/17' in German language. You can download the original article down below.